Wang Yuanyuan

SHENZHEN University plans to recruit 20 to 30 professional academic leaders from around the world in five years, the university said yesterday.

Annual salaries will be between US$100,000 and US$200,000 and even more if world renowned scholars are willing to come, said university president Zhang Bigong.

They would be employed in 14 areas, including mathematics and computer science, materials science and engineering, information and telecommunications, marine biology, optoelectronics, oncobiology, literature, Western philosophy, economics, management, industrial design and animation.

Applicants, under 50, should have worked at prominent universities or research centers as associate professors, professors, research fellows or associate research fellows.

They should also have been involved in academic research in recent years and would be subject to three-year contracts, according to Zhang.

The university posted recruitment information at academicjobseu.com in the European Union and higheredjobos.com in the United States on Sunday. The university had received 20 applications, including 19 from foreigners, Zhang said.

“We offered a very competitive salary to attract high-level professors, hoping they help the university become an international institution,” said Zhang.

The university would also offer accommodation and facilities to build laboratories.

The university also plans to recruit 164 teaching staff from around the world this year, including 28 professors, 45 associate professors and 91 lecturers, said Zhang.

Recruitment information was posted at the university’s Web site March 3.